Geological veins are sheet-like formations of crystallized minerals found within rock. Geological veins form within rock as water carries these minerals through the ground, depositing them within the rock. The mineral deposits of geological veins often include precious metals, such as gold, silver, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, uranium, and iridium, as well as other valuable metals, such as manganese and magnesium.
Due to their nature, most geological veins lay underground and their detection from aboveground remains difficult. Determining whether a geological vein possesses valuable metals requires costly excavation and extraction of the mineral deposit, followed by laboratory testing.